Japanese Black Pine

Hi everyone, During winter i purchased a small Japanese Black pine being sold as a starter bonsai. Usually I try to steer clear of the starter bonsai but I had never seen a Japanese Black pine for sale in the town I live so I was`quite excited.
Come spring I repotted it into a larger pot and it has now got quite alot of candles growing. The trunk is very skinny, about the size of a pencil, and has no taper. How should I go about increasing the size of the trunk and improving the taper?
Thanks Clint

You need to put the tree in a larger container, adding space for the roots to grow. Next you select a top branch that is allowed to grow freely for a number of years (until the trunk thickness is as you wish). Feed well, to speed growth. At the same time you keep the other branches in the length you want, and/or develop new branches.
When the top branch is no longer needed for thickening the trunk it is cut of and maybe jinned.

This is in general the most effective way to thicken pine trunks.

Regards
Morten Albek

thanks morten, who big should I let the new leader get before cuting back?

clint1982 wrote:thanks morten, who big should I let the new leader get before cuting back?

It depends only on how thick a trunk you want. Let the sacrifice top branch grow until the trunk is as fat as you want it to be.

Regards
Morten

Does it help to let side branches grow even if one knows the side branches will be cut off eventually, or is it all in the dominant apical branch when it comes to thickening the trunck? Is this true for deciduous trees also? Thanks!

The side branches definitely contribute to thickening, so long as they can be sacrificial without creating a scar that will detract from the finished appearance.

The principle applies to coniferous and deciduous trees.